“Did you get the phoenix?” Skullin asked, sharpening his knives.
The necromancer grinned. “Of course I did.”
“Well, let’s get to work.”
“No.”
Skullin let the skinning knife fall. “No?”
The necromancer whipped the phoenix out of the folds of his robes. It blinked at the light and squawked.
“We can’t skin him, he’s so fluffy. I think I’ll call him Boo-Boo. And you know what the best thing is?”
Skullin shook his head.
The necromancer pulled off his glove and stroked the bird. It dropped dead in his hand. Soon, the feathers began to smoke.
“He always comes back!”
Author’s Note: Everybody needs a pet, even necromancers.
What a clever piece, well done.